Need Help w/ Mid Ranged Gaming PC

[rusty1989]

My budget is around $1500 and my goal with this build is to have a gaming computer that can play newer games at mid-high settings and also be future proof. Something that I can upgrade down the road and will have some longevity.

Here is what I have picked out so far:
Case: Antec 900 ($110.00)
CPU: Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz ($295.00)
MB: ASUS P6T Deluxe LGA 1366 Intel X58 ($300.00)
RAM:CORSAIR XMS3 3GB (3 x 1GB) DDR3 1600 ($130.00)
HD:Western Digital Caviar Black 750GB ($90)
PSU: Antec NeoPower 650W Blue ($140.00)
GC: EVGA GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked Edition 896MB ($260.00)
OS: MW Vista Home Premium 64 bit ($223.00)
Optical: LG Black 22X DVD Burner with LightScribe ($26.00)
CPU Cooler: XIGMATEK 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler ($37.00)

The total comes out to $1611 before taxes.
So my questions are, 1) what do you think of my choices? 2) Am I overspending on any part/area? 3) Is the aftermarket CPU cooler necessary if I only want to overclock the CPU up to 3GHz?

Any advice and input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[nderscore]

Your choices are fine except your CPU cooler because it is not compatible with LGA 1366. You should very easily attain 3 GHz with the stock cooler.

 

[zedman3d]

You can probably save some money by getting a Gigabyte board but what you have there is good. I cant remember if Xigamtek had a 1366 mounting bracket though.

 

[Evolv]

Xigmatek will be releasing the new 1366 bracket for the rifle sometime in mid-December.

 

[rusty1989]

Do I need to do anything to get 1600 DDR3 to run in the Asus board?

 

[SapperX]

Don't call this a Mid Ranged, that makes my desktop seem like a pile of crap!